UBC - Chair of Environmental Biology and Chemodynamics

ESA - Department of Ecosystem Analysis

Anthropogenic chemicals are distributed on large areas (e.g., pesticides) or regionally (e.g., veterinary pharmaceuticals, heavy metals) in the environment.
Our group investigates the transformation of chemical compounds in the environment and in organisms, their binding and release into water, soil and the atmosphere. Regarding organisms we investigate the chemical, biochemical and genetic mechanisms of the uptake, transformation and immobilization of the chemicals. We are particularly interested in residues that cannot be extracted by solvents from soil or plants. Beside their chemical structure special interest focuses on the conditions necessary to render such 'bound residues' bioavailable for uptake by plants, animals or humans.
We develop bioremediation techniques to reduce the concentration of problematic compounds in contaminated soils and water using plants and microorganisms. One important aspect is the choice of plants, which should show a high tolerance and a high extraction potential regarding the contaminant. For that purpose, we profit from the potential of genetically modified plants.

Heads of research area

• Schäffer, Andreas, Prof. Dr.
• Schmidt, Burkhard, Dr.

Topics

	Biogenic formation of non-extractable residues from pesticides in soil (BioNER)
	2012 - 2015
	Siemens-Forschungsbereich "Rare Earths - Green Mining and Seperation"
	2012 - 2015
	Development of a biotest system to investigate the contamination level in soils by use of collembola as bioindicators
	2012 - 2015
	Nanorisk - Environmental risks of nanomaterials concerning real exposure-scenarios
	2010 - 2013
	CarboLifeCycle
	2010 - 2013
	Influence of microbial and enzymatic activities on immobilisation of xenobiotics in soil organo-clay complexes
	2010 - 2012
	Veterinary Medicines in Soils: Basic Research for Risk Analysis
	2008 - 2011
	Characterising the environmental behaviour and ecotoxicological potential of carbon nanotubes
	2008 - 2012
	Influence of microbial products on the structure-chemistry and chemodynamic of covalently immobilised residues of xenobiotics in soil derived organo-clay complexes
	2007 - 2010
	Metabolism of 14C-methoxychlor in human P450-transgenic and non-transgenic plant cell cultures for the production of endocrine active metabolites and their examination with regard to estrogenic activity
	2006 - 2009
	Fate of 17-ethinylestradiol in the aqueous environment and the associated effects on organisms
	2005-2008
	Das Schicksal von Tierantibiotika in güllegedüngten Böden
	2005 - 2008
	Oxidative metabolic profiling of xenobiotics using CYP1A1-, CYP1A2- and CYP3A4-transgenic plant cell cultures
	2003 - 2008
	The influence of sluge treatment on the fate of nonylphenol in sludge- amended soils
	2004 - 2007
	Transgenic plant cell suspension cultures as model systems for investigantions on the molecular mechanisms of insecticide resistance
	2004 - 2007
	Studies on the behaviour of endocrine disrupting compounds in a membrane bioreactor
	2004 - 2007
	Nonylphenol Metabolism of Sphingomonas TTNP3
	2004 - 2007
	Construction of a cDNA Library of Corn Cockle (Agrostemma githago L.) Cell Suspension Culture for the Screening for unknown P450 Sequences
	2005 - 2006
	Studies on the metabolic fate of 13C-nonylphenol in water and sediment and related microbial system
	2004 - 2007
	Behaviour and elimination of selected nonylphenol isomers in membrane-based model waste water treatment plants using 14C-labeled compounds
	2003 - 2006
	Immobilisation mechanisms of monomeric phenols in soil
	2000 - 2006
	The fate of Nonylphenol and Bisphenol A in sludge- amended soils
	2002 - 2005
	Influence of a recombinant human P450 system on endogenous compounds in transgenic plants of Nicotiana tabacum L.
	2003 - 2004
	Correlation of the degradation of endocrine disrupting compounds and the dissolved organic matter concentration in waste water
	2001 - 2004
	Balancing of the behaviour of hormone active synthetic chemicals by means of 14C-labeled compounds in model investigations concerning different steps of waste water treatment plants
	1999 - 2004
	Remobilisation of bound Simazine residues in soil
	1998 - 2004
	Bindung von Terbuthylazin-Metaboliten an gelöste organische Substanz (DOM) in Lysimetersickerwässern
	2000 - 2003
	Production of transgenic cell cultures of tobacco, which express the human cytochrome P450-monooxygenases CYP1A1 or CYP1A2
	1999 - 2003
	Einfluss von Tonmineralien auf die Bindung zweier Herbizid- Metaboliten an DOM
	2001 - 2002
	Characterisation of bound residues of the fungizide Cyprodinil
	2001 - 2002
	Interaction of 4-Nonylphenol und Bisphenol A with dissolved organic matter during wastewater treatment
	1999 - 2002
	Investigation on the structure and binding of non extractable residues and metabolism of the fungizide Cyprodinil in wheat
	1999 - 2002
	Investigation on the structure and binding of non extractable 15N- und 14C-Simazine residues in soil
	1997 - 2002
	Uptake, metabolism and formation of non-extractable residues of 4-nitrophenol in plant tissues
	1995 - 2001
	Glufosinate: Metabolism in transgenic and non-transgenic plant tissues, as well as fate in soil
	1997 - 2000
	Metabolism of [14C]-labelled n-Alkanes in Pseudomonas species allowing for the influence of rhamnolipids
	1994 - 1997